England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
